The U of M Libraries' COVID-19 response

As we mourn George Floyd’s death and try to honor his life through opposing violent policing and systemic racism, it is essential that white people like me make meaningful commitments to antiracist work. If you are white and unsure of where to begin, these books are all a good place to start.

In the style of a jazz trio, Cecily Marcus, Maura Coonan, and Jessica Abbazio created an Archives Q & A conversation video for the MUS 5611 research methods class. From describing what an archive is, to offering tips and outlining search strategies, the trio welcomes students into a world with a different tempo and perhaps surprising expectations.

Even though our buildings have been closed since March 18, 2020, in response to the health threat of COVID-19, we have remained open. Our librarians and staff, working from home, have been supporting the students, faculty, and staff of the U community, as well as the public, with electronic resources, online reference, and more.

Spring is a time of renewal and new growth, as Minnesotans emerge from a cold winter ready to get started planting, gardening, and enjoying nature. But spring 2020 has been a time for staying inside. Fortunately, the U’s Andersen Horticultural Library offers two engaging programs for community members.

As a Global Studies major with a regional focus in Europe, I gain knowledge and more tangible rewards in my job as Student Assistant for the Immigration History Research Center Archives. In the two years, I’ve gained invaluable exposure to thousands of archival materials documenting the personal experiences of 20th-century European immigrants, refugees, and displaced persons. Since spring break, however, I’ve had to learn how to do my job without this hands-on and face-to-face component.

Hello! Annie Hoffman here, Student Journalist for the libraries. I am officially done with spring semester! Even though I’m finished attending class on Zoom, there is still a lot of Zooming going on around here. I have jumped on video calls for game nights, to sing Happy Birthday, and even to attend a spelling bee.

Streams of teachers, media specialists, and everyday people around the state are finding helpful landings — and resources — through Minitex and other U of M Libraries’ resources, as they remain home to stem the spread of COVID-19.

To help them navigate, students and researchers launching on voyages of discovery in our Libraries’ collections rely on a little-known crew: Programmers, catalogers, shelving staff, the Google project team, and digitization staff work below decks — er — behind the scenes to move research forward and to ease the way to discoveries in our sector of the international information ecosystem.

It's not easy being part of the class of 2020. Caitlin McBride, a senior communications major at the University of Minnesota and a student worker at Walter Library, shares her thoughts on graduating at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Annie Hoffman is working her way through a last full week of classes and is preparing for finals. She's been shooting and editing a short dance film, reviewing Portuguese grammar, writing part of a screenplay, and much more.

For Archivist Kate Dietrick, a Zoom webinar on "Saving Your Family History" was a great way to reach a group of people who may not typically think of visiting the archives, while also answering the questions she fields regularly from individuals.

With just a couple of days warning prior to the shutdown of library buildings due to COVID-19, Emily Beck created a History of Contraceptives story map for 44 students enrolled in HMED 3055: Women, Health, and History. "It came as close as possible to replicating the in-person hands-on experience the students usually get with their time with artifacts from the Wangensteen.”

In helping new students at the U of M learn advanced skills in research and studying during COVID-19, the Libraries and student success staff came up with an online workshop that focuses on the Pomodoro technique, which provides students a structure to better manage time and, hopefully, reduce stress or anxiety.